Sweeter Than Sugar
by roo17
Summary: Who ever could have guessed it would all begin when he ordered a banana-split? Ace certainly couldn't have, and neither could the beautiful blond who worked as a cashier behind the counter at Sugary Love. But when Cupid pulls back and aims his arrow, rarely does he miss. Marco x Ace.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: So maybe my feelings towards a certain pineapple-haired blond has skyrocketed. He's just become so. damn. AMAZING. in the past three weeks to me. (It's kind of scary, really.) And because of that, maybe my obsession of the Marco x Ace pairing has skyrocketed also. I mean, it has completely taken over my mind. It has pushed the Ace x Lu (yes, yes, I know, it's wrong, but guess what: I. Don't. Care.) pairing off to the side, which is a pretty high accomplishment, seeing it was the first yaoi pairing I ever came across and fell in love with.**_

_**Okay, back to the reason why you're here. So, seeing as my obsession for this pairings has exploded, I have decided to write a story of Marco x Ace. Now, before you skip the rest of this A/N, I just want to point something out. If you've ever read my other lame stories, you'd know I have never really attempted the Romance genre. Mainly because I have come to completely ignore the subject, not even bothering to watch Romance movies. (Unless they're Comedy Romance… Then my family/friend kind of drag me into watching them.) Plus I have never been asked out, so I have no idea how to even go ABOUT the romantic-ness of males. So this is really, really, **__**really**__** different/ ard for me. If anything is wrong/out of place/completely weird, forgive me. As you can see, I have a lack of experience with the subject. XD**_

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_**Summary**__: Who ever could have guessed it would all begin when he ordered a banana-split? Ace certainly couldn't have, and neither could the beautiful blond who worked as a cashier behind the counter at Sugary Love. But when Cupid pulls back and aims his arrow, rarely does he miss. Marco x Ace._

_**Warnings**__: Male x Male. Language, failed attempts at flirting, some light sexual themes, ooc, AU, and horrible, __**horrible**__ writing._

_**Disclaimer**__: Aw dammit, is this really necessary? I mean, is Echiiro Oda __**really**__ gonna go around on this website and look for any story that might say 'I own One Piece'? I seriously doubt it. … … …I don't own One Piece, or its characters, or the made up company called Sugary Love, or Cupid. …Just to make sure, incase the lawyers find my story, you know? Yeah, just to make sure… *paranoid mumbling*_

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_~ Sweeter ~ Than ~ Sugar ~_

* * *

_Chapter One: One Banana-Split, Please_

* * *

Who ever would have guessed it all began when he ordered a banana-split?

In all truth, Ace never would have. If anything, he thought it would have started when he accidentally bumped into someone, or got stuck in an elevator with another person, or even when he would get hit in the head by a frisbee in the park and the person who owned it would come over to help him up. But no, his love life didn't start like that.

It started when he walked into the air-conditioned building known as Sugary Love.

* * *

Marco hated his job. He loathed it. Who wouldn't? Being a cashier wasn't all it was cracked up to be. First off, his job started at six in the morning– which completely made no sense to him, seeing as _no one was idiotic enough to get ice-cream at fuckin' six in the morning. _Second, he had to deal with many, many people, a lot of them being downright _assholes_. Was it too hard to not shove your life problems down a cashier's throat? Was it too hard to not _shout your fuckin' heart out at the poor, innocent cashier who hadn't done shit to you except ask for your order? _Three, his job– though, thankfully, only part-time– came in a ten hour shift. Six to _four_. And he had only one break which lasted for only ten minutes. It was _murder_ on his feet and back sometimes. Four, his boss was a total _dick_. And every dicky boss had to have that one employee that they _loved_ to pick. Any guesses on who that employee was? You guessed it. Marco. Five, the pay was _shit_. Just… _shit. _He would have quit five months ago if the economy hadn't been so bad and absolutely no one was hiring at the moment.

Still, he couldn't help but feel somewhat disgusted with himself.

Here he was, _the_ Marco Phoenix, one of _Whitebeard's_ eldest and exemplary sons…

…working as a fuckin' cashier.

"Excuse me? Are you even listening to me? Hel_looo_?" Marco gave a sigh, his shoulders somewhat slumping as he put on a fake but tired smile. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet and already it looked like his day was ready to go to hell.

"Yes, sorry; welcome to Sugary Love, order when ready, yoi."

Yeah, he really hated his job.

* * *

Ace was a fan of sweets, so long as they weren't _too_ sweet. He couldn't stand overly-sweet candies, they made his teeth hurt. Not too mention he couldn't _stand_ dark chocolate; even getting a small whiff of the food made his stomach all queasy. Ice-cream, though, was something he could eat any day. And right now, as the humid temperature of mid-summer began to grow, he couldn't help but stare at the frozen dessert company that stood before him. He didn't have that much money at the moment, only enough to get one snack and one bus ticket. He stared at the red wallet in his hand, looked back at the building before him, then back at the wallet.

"Well, so what if the desserts here are a little expensive? It's either melt under the hot sun, or cool yourself off with a frozen treat. Yeah, we don't want to do any melting today." Making his decision, the freckled male opened the glass doors that stood in his way of his frozen delight, the cool air-conditioning caressing his sun-warmed skin. Giving a quick, light shiver, he took in the building's decor.

The room wasn't too large, but it was big enough to seat at least twenty-five people. The seats and stools that lined the tables and counters were bubblegum-pink, and the tables/counters were a light melon-green. The off-white walls had multicolored sprinkles and swirls painted on them, with the floor tiles below his feet a deep cherry-red, and Ace almost felt as if he were in a child's preschool playroom. Whatever, it wasn't his fault their designers did a kind of crappy job at decorating the inside properly. Standing far from the register, he leaned against a thick, frosted glass window that was placed in the middle of the room and looked over the menu for the cheapest thing he could afford.

_Ice cream: single – $4.81_

_Ice cream: double – $5.59_

_Ice cream: triple – $6.88_

_Ice cream float: small – $7.90_

_Ice cream float: medium – $8.43_

_Ice cream float: large – $9.66_

Ace frowned. Yeah, he could only afford something that was under three dollars. He scanned the menu for anything that might fit his price range, and wasn't all too surprised when he found nothing in his preferences. _'Stupid big-time CEO money sharks…' _He turned to leave when he noticed a large sign– okay, so maybe he felt stupid for not noticing it earlier– that held the picture of a delicious banana-split.

_Limited time only! Banana-split, anyway you want it, for only $3.50!_

Okay, now _that_ was something he couldn't pass up. A toothy grin crossed his features and he happily opened his wallet, pulling out the five dollar bill that occupied the comfortable pouch. He started to head to one of the cashiers who said they were ready to take his order when a rather snotty and oblivious female cut in front of him, flipping her hair and strutting her fine ass to the counter. She turned to Ace and gave him a wink. "Thanks, cutie-pie," she spoke, her voice lust-laced. He simple rolled his eyes. He couldn't stand women like her.

"If you're ready, I'll take your order, yoi." The smooth voice had Ace looking to his left at the other open register and he blinked when his eyes landed on the cashier. The male had to be at least in his mid to late thirties, if not older, and had sun-kissed skin. His blond hair was oddly cut, he had to admit, and he found himself thinking of a pineapple when he stared at its form a second longer. The dark-blue and black uniform top clung nicely to the blond's body, and Ace could easily make the out toned muscles through the fabric.

But what really caught Ace's attention was the man's half-lidded eyes.

They were, to say the least, _mesmerizing._

The orbs were crystal clear, the clearest light blue he had ever seen. More clearer– and beautiful– than Tahiti's shallow waters, and more reflective than an azurite's smooth surface. They had to be the most eye-catching thing Ace had ever seen. And he had seen a _lot_ of eye-catching things in his twenty years.

Putting on a warm smile, the freckled male made his way to the register where he glanced at the sign to his side once more. "Yeah, I'll have a banana-split, please. With sprinkles, aaaaaaand that'll be it."

The man chuckled, "What flavor of ice-cream would you like?" Ace thought hard for a moment, scratching his chin in thought.

"I guess I didn't really think about that. Well… Hey, what would you recommend?"

The blond blinked, obviously surprised by the question, before pointing to himself. "Me?"

"Yeah," Ace smiled back. "What flavor would you recommend?"

"I-I guess it depends on what you have the taste for, yoi," the male replied, still surprised that someone was actually being somewhat courteous to him. Sure, a lot of people were kind and thankful and all that, but none of them actually asked for a recommendation from him. They usually did that when _everyone else_ was working besides him. Was there something wrong with the way he looked to make them think, _'I don't know what flavor to get, but I don't want to ask this guy AT ALL. Maybe I'll just come back and ask the other cashier working.'_? He didn't understand it, but, then again, he didn't really _care_. If they wanted to think that, then let them. Each to his own, right?

"How about… something sweet?"

_'Sweet, sweet… Let's see… Most of the flavors we have are sweet, yoi. That doesn't exactly narrow it down at all.'_ He gave a quick look-over of the kid, taking in his appearance, posture, and character. _'Alright. Chocolate's definitely screaming at me, yoi. But so is strawberry. Wait, didn't we just get new flavors in last week? What were they again? August Delight, LionS'more, German Chocolate Cake, and Apple Cobbler Crunch. Oh! And THAT flavor!'_ The blond gave a smile and he punched in the order. "That'll be $3.62." Ace handed the cashier his five but raised an eyebrow as the male handed him his change without saying a word.

"So what flavor am I getting?"

"It's a surprise, yoi," the blond grinned, piquing Ace's curiosity. He waited anxiously at the counter, his mind going back to those all too crystal clear eyes the cashier had. They wouldn't leave his mind, and in all truth, he didn't want them to. They were perfect. In fact, they were _too_ perfect, Ace found. The blond returned a minute later and Ace looked like he was about to drool a river. "One banana-split with Cupid's Love ice cream, nuts, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a cherry. Enjoy, yoi." Taking the little dish as if were a delicate baby, Ace stared in awe at the ice cream that hid below the cream and other toppings.

Chocolate ice cream with cherry bits, pieces of strawberries, the _tiniest_ strips of coconut– not too much, but too little–, a few pomegranate seeds, and just a tad bit of cinnamon. He lifted the plastic spoon buried in the ice cream and tried a taste of it.

He was pretty sure he was in heaven the moment his taste buds hit the frozen dessert.

It must have shown on his face because the cashier gave all too proud smirk. "Not bad?"

"Not bad?" Ace repeated, looking up. "It's like a piece of _heaven_ fell from the sky and landed on my banana!" So maybe that wasn't exactly the right way to word it because the other customers around him were throwing him odd and disgusted looks. He didn't care. He gave the blond the biggest grin he could must and reached out his hand. "Thanks,…?"

"Marco," the blond answered, shaking the outstretched hand. "My name's Marco, yoi."

"Thanks, Marco," Ace finished. Looking down at the watch on his wrist, Ace gave a quiet curse. "Damn, I'm already late. Thanks again!" He turned and exited the building, leaving Marco behind to smile brightly to himself. He never did get the kid's name, but that didn't dampen his spirit at all. _'Nothing can ruin my day now,' _ he thought warmly.

Turning to the next customer with a friendly look, Marco decided that maybe, just maybe, his job wasn't all that bad.

* * *

Ace didn't know what compelled him to go back to the rip-off dairy company the following week, but he wasn't going to complain. The temperature was easily 93° and a cold frozen delight was just what the doctor ordered. He stepped through the glass doors once again, the cool air enveloping him gently, and he gave a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't overheat in the building. Looking over to the side, he was disappointed to see that the sign that had been there last time wasn't there anymore, and he gave a light sigh. The banana-splits were back to their usual price of $5.50. _'Oh well. $5.50 ain't too bad.'_

_.50¢ for any extra topping_

So he'd really be paying about $6, seeing as sprinkles were an extra topping. Actually, why couldn't they just automatically add sprinkles to the delicious dessert? If somebody didn't want them, they could just ask for no sprinkles. _'It's all part of their evil plan to gain more money,'_ Ace thought. _'In about three years, you're going to have to pay extra to have the whipped cream, nuts, and cherries on it too I bet. Greedy bastards.'_ He shook these thoughts away when he found himself next in line. He moved to the open register and looked up to see who his cashier was. He was surprised to see a pair of familiar half-lidded eyes staring at him. "Marco?"

"Oh, it's you again, yoi," the man smiled, his mood brightening considerably. Ace couldn't help but smile back. "So, may I take your order?"

"I'd like one banana-split please. With sprinkles."

"Same type of ice-cream as last time?"

The freckled male gave a grin. "Yes, please."

* * *

Ace blinked. This… This was too good to be happening. Had he heard the man wrong? He had to have. This kind of thing didn't just happen, _especially_ to him, seeing as he had the worst luck in the world. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said it's on the house, yoi," the male repeated, staring into the young male's gray eyes. Marco never realized how easy it was to get lost in someone's eyes. It was… nice, calming. Ace continued to stand there, banana-split in hand, staring at the cashier like he had grown a second head. Realizing the boy needed an explanation, Marco continued. "It's for making my day last time. Think of it as a thank you gift, yoi."

Oh, and that giant, toothy grin was back on that perfect freckled face.

"Wow, Marco, thanks! I mean it!" Ace loved it when people gave him free food. It was like the ultimate gift. Free food, who wouldn't pass that up? "I-I don't know what to say!" The blond waved it off with a smirk. As long as the kid was happy, and from the looks of it, the kid wasn't happy; he was _ecstatic. _He looked like he might have just won the $250,000 lottery.

"No need to say anything, yoi. You just have yourself a good day."

"Heh, and you, good sir that is named Marco, have yourself a _great_ day," the male pointed to him with his spoon before giving a quick wave and exiting the building. Oh, that was it. Ace just _had_ to do something for the blond in return. The man just gave him the best frozen dairy treat he had ever tasted for _free_. Yeah, he totally had to repay the blond.

The question was: how?

* * *

**A/N: I originally wanted to upload this as a one-shot, but then it'd be around 30,000 words, and that is a huge ass one-shot. So I've decided to update it weekly. Hope this first part was alright. The actual 'romance' won't be for at least four more chapters.**

**So, thank you for reading this! Now go and have yourself a yummy dessert! :D**

_Your rokudenashi ice elemental,  
~roo the psycho_


	2. Chapter 2: It's Payback Time

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! I'm glad you all have taken somewhat of a liking to this story! Now, I would have updated sooner, but I haven't been feeling all that well, not too mention my life's been really busy the last few weeks, _and_ I got a rather nasty slice on my finger and it took a week before I was able to type again. _Plus_ I finally got wifi today. So I'm very sorry for the late update.**

**Anndschka: Haha! I'm glad you love it so fucking much! XD Thank you so much! I feel so stupid for taking so long to fall in love with the pairing. XD I hope this second chapter is satisfying!**

**Nicole Bailey: Thank you! I'm sorry, here it is! (Sorry for the long wait!)**

**miiChaneko: Aw, thank you! But, I must warn you, there probably will be a little drama... So sorry. Q.Q**

**And now, onto the story!**

* * *

_**Disclaimer**__: Dear characters of One Piece, can I own your universe? ...Hello? ...Sigh, I'll take that as a no._

* * *

_~ Sweeter ~ Than ~ Sugar ~_

* * *

_Chapter Two: It's Payback Time_

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the kid's last visit and Marco felt himself sighing as he began changing in the men's bathroom. He didn't know what it was about the male, but every time he saw him, he just felt so much _happier_. Maybe it was kid's attitude. It had to be, what he wanted to believe. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get those storm-gray eyes out of his mind, nor those perfect freckled cheeks and that larger-than-life grin. _'No, don't _think_ about it. Just DON'T, Marco. Don't go there, it ain't ever gonna happen, yoi. He's a kid, you're old. Anyone with a mind would know it would never work out.'_

He gave another sigh and exited the stall when he was back in his normal clothes. Just a long-sleeved, purple v-neck shirt, a pair of normal sorta-baggy black pants, and regular gray running shoes. Glancing into the mirror he heard Thatch's words echo in his mind. _"You deserve to be happy too, you know."_

"Do I?" he asked quietly. All this life, he had the worst luck in the world. When something was to go down in town and he was in the vicinity, Marco would somehow get blamed for it. If Thatch managed to cause trouble, Marco was the one who had to clean up the mess. If someone grabbed a girl's ass and Marco was the one behind her, she'd slap him instead of the asshole snickering off to the side. If Marco was looking for a part-time job, no one would be hiring except a crappy frozen dessert company named Sugary Love. No matter what happened, Marco _always_ got the shitty end of the deal.

And now he found himself quite possibly falling for a kid who was half his age.

Yeah, Life just loved to fuck with him.

He exited the bathroom in an even more crappy mood, shouldering the small black backpack he had as he went for the glass doors ahead of him.

That is, until someone grabbed his arm.

_'What now, yoi?'_ He looked down to see who grabbed his arm, expecting it to be someone who wanted to either fight him with some lame excuse– it wouldn't be the first time–, or an all-too faithful Jehovah– or Hare Krishna– who stopped anyone who passed to tell them all about their religion. To say he was surprised to see a familiar head of wild pitch-black hair, storm-gray eyes, freckled cheeks, and a skull-splitting grin would have the understatement of the month.

"Y-You!"

"Yep, that's right," the kid answered, his grin still planted firmly on his face. Marco wondered how someone could give such a big grin. Not even Thatch's could compare in size. "Hey, you okay?" Snapping out of his thoughts, the blond tiredly rubbed his face.

"Sorry, it's been a crappy day, yoi." Ace gave a frown, something Marco decided he didn't like to see on the kid's face. It just didn't match. At all. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

And that grin was back. Again. "I was waiting for you to get off work so I could treat you to lunch."

Woah, woah, woah, woah. _Woah_.

_What?_

"I'm sorry, kid, you lost me," he deadpanned. Ace rolled his eyes.

"I'm treating you to lunch as thanks for giving me that last banana-split free," he explained, like it was the simplest thing in the world. Normally, Marco would have jumped at the offer– hell, who _wouldn't;_ it was free food!–, but it was a _kid_ inviting him to lunch. A _kid_. The very same _kid_ he could quite possibly be falling in _love_ with.

"I don't know if that's the best idea, yoi," the blond slowly responded, earning a confused look from the younger male. "You're inviting me, an older male you barely even know, to lunch, when you, yourself, are barely half my age?"

"Please," Ace waved aside the question with slight irritation. "Sure, I barely know you, but I know a good guy when I see one. And even if you _do _turn on me, I think I'm more than capable of taking you down."

Marco snorted. If anything, the kid definitely had confidence. "Yeah, I seriously doubt that," he mumbled. Ace turned with a light glare.

"Hey, I'm stronger than I look! I've never once lost a fight!"

"Neither have I," Marco replied, staring the male down. _'This kid has no idea who I am.'_

"Whatever. And the name's Ace, by the way. Portgas D Ace." Now Marco knew why the kid was so sure he wouldn't lose in a fight. Portgas D Ace was the name of a kid who had gone through several– at least four– fighting tournaments and won each one with little difficulty. Not a feat easy achieved nowadays. But, then again, none of Whitebeard's men had joined in those tournaments. Had they, they would have won with such ease it would have ridiculous. _'Wait… Ace. Isn't that…?'_

"Isn't your brother Monkey D Luffy, yoi?" Marco found himself asking. "The troublemaker?"

"Yeah," Ace laughed. "He's my bro alright. And he's not the troublemaker, he's _The_ Troublemaker. So are we gonna go out for lunch or what? Or are you too _scared?_"

The blond scowled. Him? _Scared?_ The only things that scared him was a mischievous Thatch, a creative/mischievous Izo, and the thought of Whitebeard dying. "I'm not scared to eat with a cheeky brat like you. By the way, my name is Marco Phoenix, yoi."

Oh, and the look the freckled male gave was _priceless_. Marco laughed quietly to himself as Ace stared up at him with what looked like a mix of awe, surprise, and– was that a touch of fear? Yeah, it was definitely a touch of fear. "_You're_ Marco Phoenix? You mean _the_ Marco Phoenix? The man who fought Akainu and _won?_" Marco gave a nod.

"Yeah, that's me, yoi. What's the matter, too _scared_ to eat with me now?" Ace flushed as the man before him gave a teasing smirk and he abruptly stood.

"N-No! Of course not! I'm just surprised is– oh, why are we still standing here? Let's go," the male mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets and he headed for the glass doors.

"So where are we going?" Ace, who held the door open for Marco, gave a familiar grin.

"It's a secret."

* * *

Okay, so on the list of restaurants he had memorized in his mind, he was _not_ expecting Ace to take him here, to the Baratie; the best restaurant in the entire city. He thought maybe Ace would take him to a fast food joint, where lunch would be cheap and affordable. Marco stared at the restaurant's name before down at the glass doors where Ace stood, holding one open for him. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

"Ace, are you sure about this, yoi? I mean, I don't have any money on me at the moment, and this place–"

"Re_lax_, would ya? Don't worry, I got this." Ace's devilish smile gave Marco second thoughts about entering the building. Especially when he's heard how Ace was famous for his eat-and-runs. Taking in a deep breath, the blond walked into the Baratie. _'Please, let this end well.'_

The restaurant was just like he remembered, though a few potted plants had been changed with more decorative flowers and ferns. Ace pushed him further inside the already busy restaurant and took him over to a reserved window seat. Sitting down, Marco looked over the large pond that belonged to Zeff, the owner of the restaurant. It was probably the cleanest pond around, not too mention the one with the most fish. He'd keep all his fish in the pond and, just before opening for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the cooks would go out and catch what they needed to make it through their shift. You couldn't get fresher fish anywhere.

"I see you finally made it," their waiter spoke, looking over at Ace. "I was starting to think you may not show."

"And miss your delicious food? I don't think so," Ace smiled. The waiter gave a smirk before pulling out his pad and pen, looking over at the blond.

"So who's your– Marco?!" Said male blinked when his eyes landed on a familiar mop of blond hair.

"Sanji?" Ace looked between the two males, the older blond smirking mischievously and the other glaring almost heatedly. He decided to try to lighten the mood with humor and raised his arms into the air as if he were on a roller coaster.

"Ace–!" He found a foot planted firmly in his face before he could even finish his name.

"Shut up, brat," Sanji grit out, his eyes never leaving Marco. Ace lightly deflated, his arms falling back to his side.

"Yiph, phir," was his muffled reply. Marco scowled at the way the blond before him was treating Ace, but he knew there was no harm done in the action. They were obviously friends.

"It's been a long time, Sanji, yoi." The younger blond gave a low growl before lowering his foot from Ace's face.

"What's your order," Sanji grit out through clenched teeth.

Marco gave an amused smirk as he ordered. "I think I'll take a caesar salad and some tea, please."

"A meat special, please, with a tea, too," ordered Ace. Sanji wrote down the order, giving a quiet huff as he made his way to the kitchen. "What's his problem?"

"Me and him don't exactly get along very well," Marco summed up. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm all good," Ace smiled. "So, tell me something. How does one of Whitebeard's sons such as yourself end up working as a cashier for the stupidest named frozen dessert company ever?"

"A few things happened and I was forced into working there."

"_What_ happened?"

"Well, economy _definitely _happened, along with a few other things. It's nothing major, though. As soon as a better job opening is available, I'll probably leave Sugary Love. How about you? Do you have a job?"

"Yeah. Monday through Friday, I'm a waiter at a restaurant. My shift is from seven a.m. to twelve-thirty p.m. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have a second job as a waiter for another restaurant. That shift is from two p.m. to eleven p.m. And for Monday and Friday, I'm a bartender from six p.m. to one a.m. Oh, and for the occasional Saturday, I help an older farmer run the farm for a few hours. It's dirty work, but I don't mind so much. Better than when I was a garbage collector."

Marco stared at Ace with astonishment. He was juggling a total of four jobs, yet, he could still be so hyperactive. He could still be so _happy_. Marco remembered a time when he had three jobs and it nearly killed him. Literally. All the stress had made him ill and Whitebeard _forbid_ _him_ from working so many stressful jobs and once. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Stay so... _happy. _It's amazing. Isn't it stressful at all? Doesn't it tire you out, yoi?"

Ace shrugged. "Of course it tires me out, and, yeah, it can be stressful at times. But keeping a positive attitude helps a lot. I also have to keep these jobs. If I don't, I can't support Luffy. He's only now completing his senior year in high school and because of the economy, he can't find a job that suits him. So it's up to me to buy his groceries and pay his rent. But I don't mind," Ace smiled. "After all, he's my otouto."

Marco couldn't help but smile back. He could learn a few things from Portgas. But for now, there was salad to eat and tea to drink.

* * *

"That'll be thirty-six dollars," Sanji added up. After eating his salad, Ace had suggested– and by suggested, we mean _forced_– Marco to have something else. _"I will not allow you to leave this restaurant until you order something else,"_ had been Ace's exact words. So Marco ordered a small portion of soba and tempura shrimp. The freckled male inwardly cringed at the price– his tab had to be pretty high by now– but decided it was completely worth it. After all, he got to spend over an hour talking with Marco.

"Just put it on my tab," Ace replied, giving a wave to Sanji who snorted at his response. The two exited the building, both stuffed with delicious food, and looked up at the azure sky above. It reminded Ace of Marco's eyes in an instant, and he found himself smiling.

"Thank you, Ace, for the meal," the blond beside him thanked, a gentle smile on his features. Ace gave a light shrug.

"No need to thank me, I'm just repaying the deed for the free banana-split. Which was _amazing_ by the way. You picked the perfect ice cream. Sweet, but not too sweet."

Marco smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, yoi." He glanced down at his watch. 5:27. "I have to get going. My other job starts in a few minutes."

"Oh? What's your other job?"

"Nightclub bartender. Nothing too exciting. It's owned by Whitebeard, so it's not like those other clubs with music blasting in your ears and strobe-lights going off the entire time, yoi. Just a place for people to hang out at. You should check it out sometime."

"I guess I will. I'd come tonight but, well…" Ace rubbed the back of his neck as he stared off to the side, his cheeks tinged with a light pink. "My brother's coming over with some friends and they're gonna take me to a salon… And, in their exact words, 'beautify me until it ain't possible for me to get anymore beautiful, and I then shall become most _fabulous_'."

Marco stared at him for a moment, his face solemn, and Ace felt himself slightly squirm under the stare. He didn't like it when people gave him that stare. "That is most saddest thing I think I have ever heard, yoi." A sudden smirk slithered onto the blond's face. "You're gonna make a lovely dainty princess." Ace flushed, his cheeks turning a deep red, and he punched the blond in the arm.

"Sh-Shut up, yoi-boy!" Marco laughed at male's response before giving a small wave.

"I guess I'll see you around, yoi."

"Take care, Marco."

"You too, and good luck with tonight. Oh, and if you send me a few pictures of you being most _fabulous_, next time you come in I'll give you another free banana-split."

Oh, that was so tempting. So, so, _so_ tempting. He could destroy his dignity for a free banana-split, or keep his dignity and pay six dollars for another frozen delight. He didn't have all that much money, especially since he'd have to start paying off his tab at the Baratie. Not too mention he had to buy a new front wheel for his bicycle. And he had to buy Luffy some more groceries. He chewed at his lip. _Is it really worth it? _He looked up at the waiting blond, and stared into the azure eyes. Was it even natural for someone to have such beautiful eyes? _No one_ had eyes that blue and crystal clear. _No one_.

"Well?"

"…I don't have your number."

* * *

"I can't believe he actually sent me the pictures, yoi," mused Marco, scrolling through the message he received twelve minutes ago. _Poor kid. They really went all out with him._

"I better get that dessert for free." Looking up, he was met with tired tourmaline-gray eyes and pink-tinged cheeks. Wait, was that a trace of _eyeliner_ on his eye? And was… was that smudged lipstick in the very corner of his mouth? Marco looked down at the picture once more before looking up at the male before him.

"You look like a clown who didn't get all his face-paint off."

"Shut up and give me my banana-split."

"Someone's in a bad mood this morning," Marco chuckled, turning to make the demanded frozen treat. "I can't believe they managed to get you into a dress, yoi." It's true. Ace had been dressed in a beautiful orange and red dress. Its sleeves had been a soft, black lace that matched perfectly with the other colors. It had fit on the male's body snuggly, even with an overly stuffed bra that was crooked.

"Can we change the subject?" The blond chuckled.

"Alright, alright. What do you want to talk about?"

"How was work last night?"

"Pretty good, yoi. Thatch managed to fall off one of the tables he was dancing on while doing karaoke, and Izo actually got on one of the stripper poles and did a few moves. He's pretty good for never being on one before, yoi. And I do believe Rakuyo and Vista had a very interesting talk about mustaches that nearly ended in an argument." The blond finished making the banana-split and when he turned around, Ace was giving him the strangest look. "…What?"

"What kind of sons does Whitebeard even _have? _They sound like, no offense, _weirdos._"

Marco, handing over the frozen delight, shook his head with a light chuckle.

"You have _no_ idea, yoi."

* * *

**A/N: No offense to Jehova Witnesses or Hare Krishna. I have nothing against you whatsoever, and I meant to imply no offense to your religions. Alright, so there's the second chapter! Yes, it IS possible for someone to balance four jobs. I've seen it. Sorry for the rush at the end. So I hope you guys enjoyed it! There will be more of Ace's pictures that he sent Marco in the next chapter!**

**Also, if you could take a quick look at my poll, I'd be grateful. :D**

**Thank you for reading! Have a great morning/day/night!**

_Your rokudenashi ice elemental,  
~roo the psycho_


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